Our Defining Characteristic

Arrogance!

The biggest battles we face in life, on all levels and scales, is our pride, arrogance. It will show up in grandiose ways and very subtle ways on our life and the lives of everyone around us.

It’s in our private lives, public lives, it’s in the news on national and international stories all the time.

One of the greatest, or worst examples of human pride in history is the Tower of Babble in Genesis 11.

Noah and his family had come out of the ark. God instructed them and their descendants to scatter and populate the entire earth. But in the generations to come a huge majority settled all in the same place.

They all came together to provide food and security for everyone, strength in numbers. On the surface, it made sense. But God had told them to scatter and trust Him to provide and protect.

They got together and built a building, 3-5 stories high. They designed it. Engineered it. And constructed it. It truly was a marvel for its day. You can’t just stack bricks 5 stories high and not have them fall down in time.

Then they said, Look at how smart we are. Look at how powerful. We can do anything. This tower reaches to the heavens. We are as high and mighty as God.

God was like, Ya, sure. I designed and built the entire universe out of nothing. You built a building out of bricks. I know God. I am God. You’re no God.

So God punished the ppl by assigning them different languages so they could not longer communicate w/ everyone and scheme how they could be as good a smart as God. Obviously, they weren’t. They could not figure their way around their different languages to continue their arrogant plans.

By comparison, the tallest building today is in Dubai. 163 floors. The top floor is 1,921 feet high. The elevators travel @ 33’/sec, meaning it takes a full minute to get from the ground floor to the top.

Talk about an architectural marvel. But now we’ve been to space and we know that little tower in Dubai is like a bump on a log. Truly amazing, but not godlike.

I think a modern day Tower of Babel is the climate change argument.

All over the news is the tragedy of the massive hurricane that just hit Florida. The easy target for the massive size is climate change. These storms used to not be so big.

Look at us. We are powerful enough to control the climate. If we would just make the right changes to our behavior then we can make the earth’s temp lower and save the planet.

There certainly are changes in the climate. But are they to the extent some “experts” claim? Is is man-caused? Is it more natural cycles? Or, could there be something or someone else behind it?

Now, first of all, I would be the first to admit as well that we must do a better job of taking care of the environment.

I’m old enough to remember when in June of ‘69 when the Cuyahoga River in Ohio that feeds into Lake Erie caught fire due to industrial waste being dumped into it. The surface of the water caught fire.

Plastic water bottles have saved hundreds of thousands of lives in 3rd world countries helping to deliver clean drinking water to ppl who otherwise would suffer from the effects of the contaminated water. But the empty plastic containers are now choking out the very waterways that deliver water to these ppl for their farms.

We must come up with a better, cheap way to deliver clean water.

Anyway, climate change. There’s a massive, man-made hull of a boat sitting 16,000’ above sea level in Turkey that would argue that God controls the climate. He made it rain so much a flood rose to the point a massive boat was grounded on a mountain top.

In the OT law, the Sabbath laws involved one day each week when ppl should not work. But it also involved 1 year out of every 7 they should not plant nor harvest. So, if the bible is true, and if God promised to provide for his ppl even though they did not plane nor harvest every 7 years, then what does that say about the climate during those year 6’s. The crops produced record harvests b/c the climate had to perform.

God said repeatedly, He would use the climate to bless the ppl for the obedience and punish ppl for their disobedience. Is that what’s going on now? Hard to say. But it’s not hard to say that the world’s population, including the most powerful ppl in the world are pushing God farther and farther out of their lives taking credit and responsibility for only what God has the power and authority to do.

Any attempt by mankind to effect the climate that does not begin w/ the world’s most powerful leaders humbly falling on their knees, begging God to forgive us for our arrogance, and admitting we fell into the trap of thinking we are more powerful than God, will fall woefully short of any successful effect on the climate.

Then, let’s stop pumping waste into our rivers and the ocean and figure out an alternative to plastic water bottles.

So, we live in AZ, we’re not really effected by hurricanes, we like our bottled water, and we all drive 4WD SUVs so we can get thru the snow. It kind of effects us, but how much really?

Pride is still an issue for us just on our own little scale.

Months ago Sara and I booked a river cruise in Europe for the spring, after Easter. We had no idea the changes that were about to occur in our lives due to my health. My diet is the biggest change we’ve had to make so far.

Sara called, and the boat can accommodate special diets. Good. But what am I going to do on the airplanes and in airports until I do get there? There is not one thing sold in an airport that I can eat. We may have to cancel. How will we respond if we do?

Obviously, we will be disappointed. But how deeply will it effect us? This will be a challenge. Who do we believe is ultimately in charge of our plans? Do we come up w/ a plan for our lives and simply ask God to bless it? Or, do we consult God about His plan for our lives and roll with the changes that inevitably have to be made?

Proverbs 16:9 NIV

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

James 4:13–16 NIV

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.

My point is, we all get caught up thinking we have enough ability and authority to plan whatever we want to plan and make it happen. If it doesn’t happen that way, then it must be somebody else’s fault.

Whether we think we have a plan to control the climate or we think we have a plan to control our lives we are sorely mistaken. God alone has the authority and ability to control everything and if a wrench gets thrown into our plans, then our reaction to that wrench will indicate whether we believe we are in control or God is.

God allows much of our planning to happen. But when it doesn’t how do we respond?

Do we arrogantly complain that it’s not fair? Do we look to blame somebody else? Or, do we humbly accept God’s plan knowing his plans are always best for us even when it may not seem that way at the time?

Obviously, choice #3 is the best one.

In the passage we are studying today, Jesus makes it clear that humility should be the defining characteristic of our lives.

Accepting God’s authority in our life and not demanding our own authority. Letting God lift us up in due time and not promoting ourselves. Following God’s example of being gracious and merciful with others whenever we get the chance.

We’re in Luke 14 today. It begins with another test for the religious leadership. Would they humbly submit themselves to God’s authority or would they try to impose their own authority over Jesus when the opportunity come along to show mercy to man who desperately needed it.

Humble and faithful versus Arrogant and self-dependent.

Question of Authority

Luke 14:1–6 NIV

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” And they had nothing to say.

You may recall from last week, Jesus has begun the last leg of his 3 year ministry and is going to meander His way to Jerusalem for the spring Passover when He will be crux’d.

Along the way he will teach important lessons, especially those intended as one last chance for the religious leadership to get on board, surrender their lives to Him as their Messiah.

Up to this point Jesus has been focused on those who are going to be locked out of heaven. Beginning with this passage, His focus becomes on those who will be allowed in.

Contrary to expectations and assumptions by the religious leadership of the day, outcasts will make up a large portion of the population of heaven.

Here, Jesus is invited into a prominent leader’s home for a meal. It’s the Sabbath. Luke wrote that He was being carefully watched. The group of leaders lurked, what will He do about this situation that they had set up.

A man w/ abnormal swelling was in the room, front and center. Whether he was formally invited to sit at the table with the rest is unknown, but unlikely. More likely he was informally invited to stand in the room nearby. It was a common practice when the learned men would eat a meal and engage in convo others would stand close by just to listen. Likely, this man was invited to be part of this group.

But, it was obvious he was a plant in an attempt to entrap Jesus again.

Abnormal swelling. Can I ever relate. Mine isn’t as bad as this guy’s was. But the fluid build up is indicative of a more serious problem probably with the kidneys or liver.

Did I tell you I lost 15 lbs while in the hospital? I had no idea what I was carrying wasn’t the normal dad bod of a 64-year old. Those weren’t calories. They say 1 gallon of water weights 6 lbs. I lost 2 gallons of fluid from around my mid-section.

This guy at the Pharisee’s house had it much worse than me. Likely, he was not going to live much longer if his vital organs were not functioning properly to the point the extra weight was so noticeable.

Jesus took the bait. He asked them, “Is it okay according to God’s law, God’s word, to heal on the Sabbath?” He had already done so a number of times in the past few months. Most recently just a few weeks earlier with a woman who was tormented by a demon that bound her up and bent her over.

Jesus asked the question. They sat in silence. Not a peep.

You see, it is not against God’s law to heal someone, to be merciful and help someone when you can on the Sabbath. It is allowed and it’s in our OT.

These leaders knew this. But over the centuries, leadership had developed another level of rules. They formulated more restrictions believing they were more authoritative than God’s word and elevating them above.

So, to heal this man was not against God’s law. But it was against their desires for the proper way to live one’s life.

So, when what you want to do, desire to have, feel like you want to be; is specifically forbidden in the bible, what do you? Or, the opposite. Something you think you shouldn’t have to do, don’t want to do, can’t do b/c for whatever reason you feel like it’s wrong but the bible says it’s okay to do.

What has authority over your life? Will you humbly submit to God and His word even if you don’t want to? Or will you arrogantly dig your heels in and do what you want to do?

Had the leadership learned anything at all? Are they really that dense? They knew what the bible said. But they didn’t want Jesus to do it.

He did it anyway.

BTW, notice what little attention is given to the miracle here. We tend to make big deals out of things like this. But it was almost just a ho-hum, heal the guy and move on.

The reason simply is that the miracle is not the point of the passage. The point of the passage is the leaders would not humbly submit themselves to God’s word but stubbornly, arrogantly expect Jesus to submit to their authority and their oral tradition.

Jesus pointed out their hypocrisy. If their child or ox fell into a well and they could be merciful and save them obviously, they would. They would be more merciful to an animal than they would the ppl around them whom they could help.

Not that they could heal this guy. Only God could do that. But that they would condemn Jesus for doing what He could do for Him indicated the arrogance of their heart.

They arrogantly elevated their own opinions above the authority of God’s word.

The defining characteristic of a follower of Jesus is the humility to submit your life to God’s word even when you don’t want to.

Quickly Jesus moved on from this miracle. While they were watching Him, He was watching them. And He called them out for what He saw them do.

Question of Promotion

Luke 14:7–11 NIV

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

So whose responsibility is to make sure you know how good I am? Am I supposed to make it a point to tell you every chance I get? Or, Am I supposed to let others tell you what they really think of me?

Jesus noticed as these men of high standing who were invited to this meal came in, how quick they were to take the most honorable seat available first so the last person in was left to sit in whatever seat was open.

The honorable seats were the ones closest to the host, or guest of honor. It would have been obvious which seat was the host’s whether he was in it or not. If the table was in a horseshoe shape, his seat would have been in the middle of the closed end so he could be as close to everyone as possible.

Then, the next most honorable seats were the ones next to his. Whomever got stuck on the ends might have a hard time hearing and keeping up w/ the convo from around the room.

What Jesus watched as these men entered the room they took the initiative to take the most honorable eat available for themselves. Self-promotion was their priority. Arrogance was their defining quality.

Every chance they got they either told ppl or showed ppl that they bel’d they were the most important person in the room. They took it upon themselves to promote themselves. They all did it. Every one of them looked out only for themselves. Every man for himself.

In the game of musical chairs if you lost your seat too bad for you. No one would give up their seat for anyone else. Pregnant woman on a bus, they wouldn’t budge.

Elderly woman needing a rest, forget it. A woman no less. She’s on her own. “Don’t you know who I am?”

Jesus’ point here is the defining characteristic of a follower of his is to take the least honorable seat available and let others promote you to a better seat if appropriate. And, don’t get your panties in a wad if nobody does that and leaves you in that place.

Many arrogantly promote themselves believing the deserve the best seat.

But followers of Jesus believe we do not deserve anything we have and will humbly accept the least of the seats. Whether or not anyone invites us to move, we are confident God will lift us up in due time and give us a seat we absolutely do not deserve but have been graciously gifted by Him in heaven.

We recognize we are all outcasts. God doesn’t choose the perfect, the impeccable. We are very peccable! And we should be willing to accept the lowest position, the least health, the slightest wealth, knowing that one day in Heaven, when God lifts us up, we will receive many times more than we ever could imagine receiving here on earth.

Not only is this for our benefit, but we also model the same treatment of others that God treats us w/. We all are in this together. No one is above serving like this and no one is beneath being served.

Right after instructing these religious leaders about the importance of compassion and mercy and the authority of God’s word over theirs, then instructing them to not promote themselves but let others do the promoting; he instructed them to treat others the same way God was treating them.

Question of Repayment

Luke 14:12–14 NIV

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Not only did these men promote themselves to the best seat in the house, when they thew parties themselves they only invited ppl they bel’d themselves to be worthy of; namely, each other. It was a big bash for a small exclusive bunch.

They used their party sked to get themselves invited to the best parties. It was a social norm to invite the ppl to your party who invited you to theirs. They kept the group exclusive. And the locked out the outcasts and losers.

What they failed to understand was, they would be locked out of God’s party in the end and be the big losers while the ppl they deemed outcasts and losers would be in the in crowd at the cool kids’ table w/ Jesus.

They would dream of inviting the ppl Jesus instructed them to invite. These ppl don’t fit our kind. They live in poverty. They don’t look like us. They don’t smell like us. No one is inviting them into their home.

There is no way they could reciprocate and invite us over. What’s the point of inviting them if they can’t invite us.

That’s the point. Grace. Grace motivates us to do nice things for ppl who cannot possibly repay. it’s not an option for them. It’s not whether they want to, they just can’t afford it.

Followers of Jesus come to understand how much grace it takes for Jesus to do for us what He has done. At first, when we first come to know Him. We may think we’re pretty good. There are a lot of ppl a whole lot worse than me. They need grace.

But over time, we come to understand that we don’t deserve anything. And the only reason we have anything good is b/c of God’s grace.

God invited us in. And, on a spiritual level at least, we look just like the ppl Jesus told the rich religious leaders to invite into their home.

We are poor. Penniless in terms of heavenly capital.

We are crippled. Unable to walk upright w/out crutches or a walker. Bound up by the sins that entangle us.

We are lame, blind to the truth, ignorant and arrogant; Yet Jesus still invited us to His banquet. He came to us w/ an invitation, found us wherever we were and graciously offered us the chance to dine with the king.

There is no way we could repay Him for all that He has done for us. It is pointless, even insulting to try. Just appreciate what He’s done.

Followers of Jesus humbly accept God’s undeserved blessing and then we do our best to treat others the same way. If we fail to be gracious w/ others, expecting them to repay us, or only being kind to those who are kind to us; then we indicate we do not appreciate how much grace it took for Jesus to save us.

Either we arrogantly only help ppl who can help us get where we want to go. We only invite those whom we want to invite us over next. We use ppl. We promote ourselves and are kind only to the ppl who can repay our kindness.

Or, as followers of Jesus, we appreciate the grace w/ which Jesus applied to save us and we humbly do what we can for those around us who cannot possibly repay us.

The defining characteristic of a follower of Jesus is humility. We may not be as far as we need to get, yet. But Jesus is working on getting us exactly where He wants us to be. And it will show in the ways we treat ourselves and those around us.

Be a faithful humble follower of Jesus and we will be able to sit w/ the cool kids in the kingdom when we get there.

Applications

Mercy, Compassion, Grace

Jesus has been merciful w/ us. He loved us just the way He found us. But He loves us enough to not leave us there.

He has been gracious w/ us. He has given us great gifts we don’t deserve. Every good gift comes from God.

When we can, do what we can to help pull people out of their pit and help them by giving them a pleasant experience they otherwise may never enjoy.

Watch. What can you do to show someone around you a tangible way God loves them?

Authority

When you want to do something you know the bible says not to do, please don’t do it. It’s for your own good.

You may feel like it, want it bad, but if God says it’s a bad idea, then don’t. Something is lurking that you can’t feel or see that will be bad for you.

Let the bible be the authority in your life. Don’t try to be the authority over God.

Promotion

Actively look for opportunities to take a back seat. On purpose, be behind the scenes.

Let others promote you. And even if they don’t, God will lift you up in due time. Let Him do the heavy lifting in your life.

Whether we think we have a plan to control the climate or we think we have a plan to control our lives we are sorely mistaken. God alone has the authority and ability to control everything and if a wrench gets thrown into our plans, then our reaction to that wrench will indicate whether we believe we are in control or God is.

God allows much of our planning to happen. But when it doesn’t how do we respond?

Do we arrogantly complain that it’s not fair? Do we look to blame somebody else? Or, do we humbly accept God’s plan knowing his plans are always best for us even when it may not seem that way at the time?

Obviously, choice #3 is the best one.

Jesus makes it clear that humility should be the defining characteristic of our lives.

Accepting God’s authority in our life and not demanding our own authority. Letting God lift us up in due time and not promoting ourselves. Following God’s example of being gracious and merciful with others whenever we get the chance.